Scottish Welfare Fund: Scottish Government doubles funds available – but Councils REDUCE payments during pandemic! The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the poorest hardest, in many ways. In response to the emergency the Scottish government added £45 million to the Scottish Welfare Fund, more than doubling its funding. The aim – to support people during the…Read moreRead more
admin5
Scottish Welfare Fund: Councils REDUCE Payments during Pandemic!
Living Rent force Edinburgh Council to act on High-Rise Fire Safety
Action by the Muirhouse branch of Living Rent has succeeded in forcing City of Edinburgh Council to repair two defective fire doors in the Oxcars Court high-rise. Only after Living Rent called the Fire Brigade, did online publicity and contacted councillors and managers did the Council finally act to secure residents’ safety. The fire doors…Read moreRead more
Disability Benefit Reviews Suspended
Due to the Covid-19 emergency, the government has stated: …there will be no new reviews or reassessments across all benefits for three months – this includes Universal Credit (UC), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.” …where awards are due to expire,…Read moreRead more
The Real COVID-19 Death Toll
Official figures show the UK death toll from Covid-19 to be 40,496 as at 11th May, the Guardian reports – significantly higher than the figure of 33,186 deaths quoted at the UK Government briefing on 13th May. The figures highlighted at the UK Government daily briefings are deliberately reduced by only including deaths where the…Read moreRead more
Disabled People & Social Care
In times of crisis the rights of disabled people are the first to be slashed, despite us being amongst the categories most in need of particular support in the coronavirus pandemic. The UK government’s emergency Coronavirus Act, according to Disability Rights UK, amounts to a suspension of the Care Act 2014 and of parts of…Read moreRead more